Following the death of Don Shula, the NFL’s all-time leader in coaching victories, let’s take a look at his win total and those who rank behind the Miami Dolphins legend. Totals include playoff and Super Bowl/League Championship Game wins.
1. Don Shula (347)
Shula has the most victories (347) ever, Shula won an NFL-record 347 games, including playoff games and two Super Bowl victories, and guided the Dolphins to the league’s only undefeated season (17-0) in 1972.
2. George Halas (324)
Nicknamed “Papa Bear” and “Mr. Everything”, was an American professional football player, coach and team owner. He was the founder, owner and head coach of the Chicago Bears, leading them to six League Championship victories.
3. Bill Belichick (304)
Most everyone today agrees that he’ll be remembered as the G.O.A.T and it’s difficult to argue with his time as head honcho with the Patriots: 17 AFC East division titles, 13 AFC Championship Game victories and nine Super Bowl appearances, with a record six wins.
4. Tom Landry (272)
Twenty-nine years as Cowboys coach, 20 playoff wins (secondly only to Belichick), two Super Bowl titles … and also the iconic suits and hats.
5. Curly Lambeau (235)
Lambeau, along with a friend, co-founded the Green Bay Packers in 1919. Six League championship game title wins and a field named in his honor later, he’s a true pro football legend.
6. Paul Brown (229)
Brown was the co-founder and first coach of the Cleveland Browns, a team named after him, later played a role in founding the Cincinnati Bengals and won a record seven League Championship games.
7. Andy Reid (223)
The close-but-no-cigar big guy finally broke through and won the big one when the Chiefs rallied to beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
8. Marty Schottenheimer (205)
The former Chiefs coach, who also led the Browns, Chargers and Redskins over the course of a 21-year head coaching career, was mostly a success, except in the playoffs (5-13 overall) so he never won a SB ring, and, in fact, never even got there.
9. Chuck Noll (213)
Belichick before Belichick. Led the mighty Steelers to four Super Bowl victories, in all four of Pittsburgh’s appearances, during his tenure from 1969-1991.
10. Dan Reeves (201)
Reeves has two Super Bowl rings from his time with the Cowboys (first as a player and then as an assistant coach). But never as head coach as the Broncos lost three times and the Falcons once under his watch.
11. Chuck Knox (193)
Knox racked up many wins during his stints with the Los Angeles Rams (twice), Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills but never made it a Super Bowl.
12. Bill Parcells (185)
A perfect two-for-two with the Giants in Super Bowls and New York reached a third while he was there.
13. Tom Coughlin (184)
Another giant among giants for Giants fans. His teams beat the powerful Patriots twice in Super Bowls (XLII and XLVI).
14. Mike Shanahan (180)
Shanahan finally guided the Super Bowl-lost (four times from 1977-1989) Broncos to their first championship, thanks to John Elway, of course, in 1997 and then Denver did it again in 1998 for back-to-back titles.
15. Jeff Fisher (178)
Came thisclose to tying Super Bowl XXXIV as leader of the Titans.
16. Mike Holmgren (175)
He’ll be remembered as a better developer of future NFL quarterbacks than as a head coach, but still, one Super Bowl ring with the Packers and helped make Joe Montana, Steve Young and Brett Favre the players they became — not a bad list.
17. Joe Gibbs (174)
He has the second-highest regular-season winning percentage of any coach (again, after Belichick) and won three Super Bowls.
